The present invention relates to gaming devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to the game of Keno.
Keno in the U.S. traces back to a game brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the 1800's. The Chinese game used a board and a set of up to one hundred twenty characters instead of numbers. Early versions of American Keno used characters on the Keno ticket, rather than the numbers used today. The American game dropped the number of characters to the more familiar eighty.
When gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada in 1931, the ‘Chinese lottery’ game was referred to instead as Horse Race Keno, referring to the idea that the numbers are horses and the player wants the wagered horse to come in. Later, the name was shortened to simply Keno, although the game is stilled referred to often as Horse Race Keno.
Keno is similar to a lottery game. The goal, like a lottery, is to choose a winning number or numbers from a plurality of numbers. In most versions of Keno, the player receives a card with eighty squares numbered one to eighty, arranged in rows of ten. The player can bet on any number or numbers, up to fifteen numbers, which the player does by marking selected numbers on a Keno card. A clerk records the player's bet(s), wherein the player pays for each number played or wagered.
The Keno numbers also appear on eighty ping pong type balls, which can be tossed about in a clear plastic sphere or spun around in a wire bird cage. Keno numbers were at one time drawn using a manually powered Keno goose. Later, a number of different lottery styles were used. Today, computers using random number generators generate the Keno numbers. When a number is chosen, the number is shown electronically on Keno boards throughout the casino.
A number of Keno outlets and Keno monitors are typically placed in various places around a casino or gaming establishment. In certain types of Keno, the player must return a winning ticket to the Keno ticket writer before the next game starts (usually about five minutes) or forfeit the win. Other types of Keno allow the player additional time.
Many casinos offer ‘multi-race’ cards, which allow the player to play the same set of numbers over multiple games. One type of ‘multi’ game allows the player to wager a single set of numbers over as many as twenty games. When finished, the player must return to the Keno station and cash in any wins. ‘Stray and play’ tickets are also available, which allow the player to play a version of Keno called ‘walk away Keno’. Here, players can purchase a Keno ticket for an extended number of games, enjoy other activities in the casino and return at a later time or even a later date to have the tickets checked by a computer for winning games.
Another option for Keno players is a combination or ‘way’ ticket. A combination ticket enables the player to group different numbers, wherein each group has the same amount numbers, creating more than one way to win. For example, a 3×3×3, nine spot ticket allows the player to select a combination of three groups of three numbers. The player can, for example, mark a first group of three numbers with the letter “A,” mark a second group with the letter “B” and mark a third group the letter “C”. This ticket enables the player to win on any winning combination of three numbers for any of the three groups. Hitting any winning combination pays as though a single ticket had been played. Essentially, the player plays three games on one card. In some Keno games, playing three numbers in three games enables the player to play, or provides to the player an additional nine spot game.
The ‘way’ ticket supposedly makes Keno more exciting, enabling players to wager more money on more numbers. In reality, playing a way or combination ticket offers no mathematical advantage, and no disadvantage, to the player. Some casinos offer discounted minimum bets with ‘way’ tickets. If the player plays three or more ways, many casinos will discount the price per ‘way’ (e.g., let the player bet $0.50 per wager instead of a usual $1 minimum). The casino however only pays back on the player's actual bet.
Known variations on Keno do not affect the mathematics, payout or expected return of the game. It does not mathematically matter how many numbers the player chooses or if the player combines wagers. The player can choose less numbers if the player likes to win a smaller amount but a little more often. The player can choose more numbers if the player does not care about the frequency of the wins but wants bigger payouts.
Keno variations have not taken the form of a bonus, which could actually impact the player's expected return. One reason for this may be that Keno is perceived as sort of a side game that can be played and enjoyed while the player performs other activities, such as playing another game, eating or perusing the casino. Providing bonuses or bonus variations to existing games has increased popularity in other gaming areas, such as slot. Such a variation could also therefore increase the popularity and overall excitement in Keno.